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From: brower@fortune.UUCP (Richard Brower)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Black's ravings
Message-ID: <5099@fortune.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 12-Mar-85 17:14:31 EST
Article-I.D.: fortune.5099
Posted: Tue Mar 12 17:14:31 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Mar-85 03:00:19 EST
References: <5080@fortune.UUCP> <1958@sdcc6.UUCP>
Reply-To: brower@fortune.UUCP (Richard brower)
Distribution: net
Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA
Lines: 28
Summary: 

In article <1958@sdcc6.UUCP> ix415@sdcc6.UUCP (Rick Frey) writes:
>That is a rather odd idea.  If the Bible and religion does teach that
>homosexuality is wrong than ordaining a gay person to teach and lead 
>a church seems a little peculiar.  If the person in question admits to
>being homosexual and says he won't change than to have that person lead
>a church is completely against Biblical teaching and even common sense.
>A person that willfully and deliberately defies Biblical teaching and
>authority can obviously not teach that the Bible is to be obeyed or
>that the Bible is authoratative in the areas of morality and lifestyle,
>both important Biblical doctrines.  If, however, the church in question
>doesn't feel that homosexuality is wrong, than there should be no
>problem.

Well, I know gay ministers.  Most of the ones that I know were ordained
in denominations which were, at that time, not supportive of gay people
at all (some have changed their views and some have not) and those ordained
were deep in the closet.  Some of them married and had children.  Most
of them have since severed their ties to their original denominations,
due to the anti-gay sentiments of their church's hierarchy and their
own needs to be free.  Many of them are still excellent ministers to
their flocks.  Many have joined with MCC, Dignity, or other groups
catering to gay Christians.  Rev. Troy Perry and Rev. James Sandmier
are two examples of Christian ministers (fully out, which is why I use
their names) who have dedicated their ministries through MCC.  Troy was
a Baptist and James was a Mormon.
-- 
Richard A. Brower		Fortune Systems
{ihnp4,ucbvax!amd,hpda,sri-unix,harpo}!fortune!brower